Just in time for the release of Death Cab For Cutie’s new album Codes and Keys, soulful Detroit singer-songwriter Stewart Francke has released a rock and roll-infused cover of Death Cab’s 2006 song “I Will Follow You Into the Dark.” Francke heard the song through his 16-year old daughter constantly playing it with her friends, and soon grew to appreciate it enough to pay homage on his new album Heartless World (which features a guest spot from Bruce Springsteen).

“I was in the midst of a lot of loss and extraordinary emotional pain – all from a series of deaths – and the song to me was about an undying faith in another person, or each other, in going through the unknown together,” Francke told American Songwriter about his decision to cover the tune. “It was a song about easing loneliness, and I was feeling very lonely. The brittle performance of Ben Gibbard accentuated all of that feeling. It’s ultimately a song of enduring hope.”

The cover abandons the original’s acoustic guitar without losing the loneliness. Francke opens with a beautiful piano solo and leaves plenty of room for violin and guitar solos. Still, the beauty of Ben Gibbard’s lyrics shines through whether the backing is simple piano or full rock combo. Check it out below. (via American Songwriter)

Stewart Francke – I Will Follow You Into The Dark (Death Cab for Cutie cover)